Broken
by aznlurve
Summary: In just one night, a little girl's life comes crashing down around her. Damaged and alone, she faces death several times. Will Dawson and Shay be able to save her?
1. Prologue

Suicide is painless. It's life that hurts. I would know. Years of being constantly put down; beaten and abused. I had my innocence stolen away from me. The pain doesn't go away. It flares up constantly, reminding me of just how messed up I am. The idea of happiness scares me.

I look up into the pink and orange sky and hug my teddy bear close. Clouds drift by and trees sway in the gentle breeze. They don't have a right to be this beautiful when I'm hurting this much. It is nights like these I wish it was pouring, so I could scream and cry out all the pain.

When I was younger, I never thought I would ever hurt this much. People don't commit suicide because they want to die. They do it because it hurts too much to live. I've always wondered about death. Where was my mommy? Does she know that I miss her? Where do you go after? Was there truly a heaven and a hell? Or was it just like a deep, endless sleep? I guess anything would be better than this though. Eventually the thought of killing myself went from "how" to "when"? Pills? A rope? Blades? A gunshot? None of this matters. I'll finally say good-night.


	2. Chapter 1

**Leslie**

"Damn it's cold. They call this spring?" Dawson shivers, wrapping her jacket tight around, and blowing her dark hair out of her face. It's true; although it's April, New York is still freezing this time of the year. Well, any time of the year actually.

"Just be glad we got the day off," I reply. Dawson and I worked as paramedics in the ambulance at the firehouse. It was a tough job, requiring constant attention and much dedication. This kind of work called for complete trust, and that was why we were the best of friends, and even lived together. I'll even admit to having a small crush on her, but that's probably just my lesbianism.

The wind cuts through my clothes as we make our way towards the nearest bakery. "Shay," Dawson stops suddenly, "look at that girl over there. She must be freezing." There was a tiny child sitting on the bench in the park, wearing only a t-shirt and jeans. Dawson quickly changes direction and starts over to her.

"Hey," she says softly, kneeling down next to the small, blonde girl, "I'm Gabriela, and this is Leslie. Aren't you cold?"

The girl looks up, startled. She really couldn't be more than five years old, and her huge blue eyes and pale skin made her appear even younger. "Don't call the police," she whispers, "I'll leave."

"Wait, we're not here to turn you in. Where are your parents? You really shouldn't be here alone at night," I say. There is no reply. "What's your name?"

She hesitates for a moment. "Tiger." Her voice was barely audible over the hum of the traffic on the road behind us.

"Have you eaten yet, Tiger? You look hungry."

"No, nothing today."

Dawson glances at me, and then turns towards Tiger. "We were about to go get some food. Why don't you come with us?"

"I…I really don't think I should," she looks scared, and ready to run away.

"Shh hey, it's okay," I say trying to calm her down. "Just come with us and then we'll take you home okay?"

She looks torn, but her hunger wins over whatever waits for her at home. "Okay," Tiger crawls off the bench, all the while shivering. I take her into my arms and put her into my jacket. We start back towards the bakery, and Dawson and I exchange quick, curious glances.

A wave of hot air hits me when Dawson opens the door. Inside it's warm and toasty, and smells like heaven. I set Tiger down in a booth and scoot in next to her as Dawson goes and eyes the food. Tiger stares out the window, her reflection looking back at me. She sighs and I wonder what her story is.

I turn to look at Dawson, who is still trying to decide what to get. In a way she's like a kid in a candy shop, but that's one of the reasons I like her. She's the child of our bunch; sweet and cutesy. Our gang had a fun time putting up with her, and her hot-headedness often got her in trouble with Chief Boden.

It's funny, when I first joined Firehouse 51 as a paramedic, I didn't expect to find a family here. We help each other out both professionally and personally. Although we face life or death decisions every day, we always look out for each other, no matter what happens.

Dawson comes back with enough sweets to feed the whole city of Chicago, and slips in across from us. "Help yourselves," she grins. The three of us dig in like we haven't eaten for weeks. Funny enough, that's probably true for Tiger. She inhales an entire loaf of bread by herself and keeps eating. I shake my head, what kind of parent doesn't feed their child?

Ten minutes later, everything is gone. Dawson and I look over at Tiger, who hasn't spoken a word. "Still hungry?" Dawson asks kindly. Tiger shakes her head.

"Then I guess we'll take you home now," I say.

Tiger looks up at me. "I can walk," she says.

I laugh. "I'm not going to let you walk home alone in freezing cold weather at night!"

She shrugs. "1224 West Englewood," she says.

I raise my eyebrows at Dawson. That's a pretty rough neighborhood. We'd been called several times to take care of various shootings and arsons. "Alright," I reply.

We walk out together; the only parking space was a bit of a walk. I pick Tiger up again as she starts to shiver. The drive is quiet and long, but gives me time to think. Why was Tiger alone and why was she so untrusting? Why did she live in the bad side of town? Where were her parents?

Dawson pulls up in front of small, beat-up house. "Here?" she asks. Tiger nods. "Want us to walk you in? We can explain to your parents where you were," she says.

Tiger's eyes widen. "No, no it's okay. You don't have to." She looked away at the mention of her parents.

"Well, then we'll just watch you go in, okay?" Dawson hops out of the car and I follow suit. Tiger starts walking to the door, but turns. To my surprise, she comes up to hug me, then Dawson.

"Thanks," she says quietly, "really. I mean it."

Before we can say anything, she turns back around and starts back to the house.

"Strange girl," Dawson murmurs, watching her back.

"Yeah…" I reply, as Tiger unlocks the door and slips inside.

Dawson and I open the doors of the car, ready to leave when I hear a desperate, high-pitched scream. One that could only belong to Tiger.


	3. Chapter 2

**Gabriela**

Without hesitation, I run across the path and up the stairs to the front door. "Dawson!" Shay shouts. I stop suddenly, staring into the house. Shay is right behind me, panting. I take in a breath. "Call 911."

Tiger is on the floor, crying, begging. For a split second, I am frozen. I can only stare at the sight before me. A man is punching her repeatedly, now he is on top of her. I hear her scream. "No! Daddy please, don't! Please," she gasps. Her next cry is cut off by a sharp blow to her ribs. Finally, I move.

I thrust myself on top of the man and start hitting him. He elbows me in the chest and I am stunned. He hits me in the head so hard I think I actually see stars. Sirens sound, and he seems to realize what's happening. In a flash, he grabs something off a table, turns tail, and runs out the back door. Vaguely, out of the corner of my eye, I can see Shay leaning over Tiger.

"You're okay," she says, over and over again, "it's going to be okay." There are tears streaking down Tiger's face, mingling with the blood. Paramedics rush in, and I almost laugh at the irony. The next moments are a blur, as they whisk Tiger off in an ambulance, and a redheaded police officer keeps questioning us. A large face looms over me, and that's all I see before I pass out.

Floating. I am floating. Everything is dark except for the tiny, twinkling lights that wink, then disappear. Faces drift past and memories flood.

Then, I am awake. "Ugh," I groan, sitting up. I'm on the couch at home. Shay is beside me, staring at nothing. "What happened?" I ask.

Shay looks startled, as if she forgot I was here. "After the police came, you passed out. They took you to the hospital to get you checked out. No concussion. I drove you home."

"Thanks," I say, "um, what about Tiger?"

Shay sighs. "They wouldn't tell me because I wasn't family. But Hallie says we can stop by tomorrow morning. The police want to question us then, too. We're meeting at the hospital. I already talked to Boden." She smiles a bit, "Better get some rest while you still can."

The next morning we don't talk much, each of us silently mulling over just what happened last night. Shay drives us over to the hospital, and we wait quietly for our friend. Well really Shay's friend. Hallie Thomas and I didn't really see eye to eye, but for the sake of our friends, we tried to get along. After she and Casey broke off, we had a little fling which really got to her. She was a doctor, but also dabbled in psychology. She wasn't fond of kids though, which was part of the reason for the fight between her and Casey, another firefighter. As we sit in the waiting room, the redheaded police officer from last night walks through the doors.

"Hi," she says, walking up to us, "Detective Jones. But you can call me Dani. I'm investigating the case of Tiger Sky Reeves."

"I'm Gabriela, and this is my friend Leslie," I tell her, "we planned on seeing Tiger, and then you'll question us, right?"

"Yes. Dr. Thomas plans on joining us to discuss what would be the best thing to do for Tiger. Speaking of which, during the investigation I found some things you might like to give her." Dani pulls out a soft blue blanket and a small teddy bear and hands them to me.

I start to thank her, and then Hallie walks up. She looks at Shay and me and smiles a bit sadly, "Tiger will be fine. She's pretty beat-up though, physically and emotionally. There are things we need to talk about. She hasn't said a word to anyone, but maybe you guys can do something. Come on, I'll take you to her."

We walk up the stairs and down the hallway. "Room 312," Hallie says.

Shay and I look at each other, all of a sudden nervous. She smiles at me, and I knock softly on the door. I open it to see Tiger curled up in the white hospital bed. Her body was only a wisp, and she looks up at me with those huge blue eyes.

"Hey," I say softly, "how are you feeling?" She doesn't answer, so Shay and I walk closer and sit on the side of the bed. "I brought you something," I pull out the blanket and the bear and place them next to Tiger. When she still doesn't say anything I gently reach over, but as soon as I touch her she flinches. I pull back and for a minute we all just look at each other. I let out a breath. "We need to go, but we'll come back and visit, okay?"

Shay shoots me a look, but I ignore her. Smiling one last time at Tiger, I get up. We exit the room, leaving Tiger staring silently at the wall. "We can't come back," Shay says flatly.

"Says who?" I reply, knowing full well Chief Boden doesn't like us to form a relationship with victims. "She wasn't our case."

"All the same," Shay sighs as we make our way back to the waiting room, "I don't want to see you get hurt."

In a few minutes Hallie, Dani, and Shay and I are sitting in a room together.

At first, no one says anything, but then Hallie looks up at us. "I'm going to give it to you straight. Tiger was abused. She has multiple scrapes and bruises in addition to the deep cut under her eye. She has a sprained wrist and three broken ribs. Tiger also has several scars on her wrist, which to my belief were not from her father. From what I know, Tiger self-harms."

The room is silent, and no one says anything. Hallie continues. "While I was examining her, I also noticed severe vaginal trauma. In other words, she has been raped. And more than once. All this has caused much emotional damage which is why she doesn't talk. Tiger is likely to be untrusting, fragile, and maybe even suicidal."

We are all stunned. I begin to shake my head, and beside me I can see Shay struggling not to cry. "So what do we do?"

Hallie looks at me, "She needs a home."


	4. Chapter 3

**Dani**

Damnit. Why is it that I always get stuck with these cases? I never thought it would be this hard when I first joined the Special Victims Unit. After all these years, some of the things people will do still shock me. It doesn't get any easier, even if I am a senior detective. After the chat with Hallie, I interviewed Leslie and Gabriela. What kind of father would do that? What kind of mother would leave her child alone?

I walk through the doors of the precinct. My friend and partner, Amanda, looks up. "How'd it go?" she asks.

"Another one of those cases," I sigh, "we're going to need to interview the girl, but so far she's not talking. What about you? Any leads? And where are Hamilton and Beck?"

Captain Ellis comes out before Amanda can answer any of my questions. "Well?" he asks.

"Both Leslie and Gabriela provided vague descriptions of the man; tall, blonde, and with an athletic build. No names. Gabriela mentioned he grabbed something off the table before he fled. Could be a phone, money, a gun. The four-year old girl; she's been abused physically and sexually and won't talk. My guess is from the father. No one knows where the mom is. I'll try stopping by this afternoon to talk to Tiger, but the doctor says she's likely to keep quiet until she finds out she can trust us. I assume you haven't found the guy?"

"Hamilton and Beck are out searching for leads. They interviewed the neighbors, and no one had even heard of a little girl living in that area. Someone said she remembered the woman, they were friends, but she doesn't know much about her. Didn't know she had a daughter, and has no idea where the mom could be. This is one messed up family." He glances at Amanda. "Preston, you and Jones talk to Dr. James. See if you can find out anything about the mother."

Amanda nods, "Yes, Captain."

As we walk down the hallway, I catch her sneaking glances at me. "What?" I finally ask.

"Nothing…it's just…" Amanda sighs, "I know you're going to fight for her. And I will too. But be careful. Don't get too personal."

"Yeah," I say, deep in thought, "okay."

It's weird. I can't help but to be drawn into the little girl's life. It just wasn't fair for someone so young to have to go through all that. Even when she grows older, will she remember the horrors she faced during childhood? Will she ever learn to trust and love again? Will she remember what it's like to be happy? Amanda is right. I will fight for Tiger.

We reach Cassidy James's office and I reach up to knock. The door swings open and Cassidy steps out.

"Hey," she says, "I was just going out to look for you."

"What do you got?" I ask.

"Well, the DNA tests came back. There was no match on the father on the system, but we found a hit on the mom. You may find this interesting. Take a look."

Cassidy pulls up a file on the computer. A pretty, young woman's face fills the screen.

"Astrid Kennedy. 24 years old, white female."

"Astrid," I repeat, "why does that name sound familiar?"

"Astrid Kennedy," Amanda gasps, "about a year ago a friend of hers came in to the precinct worried. Wouldn't give any names. We went over and talked to Astrid. I didn't know she had a daughter."

"That's right!" I remember, "She had bruises and cuts all over her, yet wouldn't admit to anything. We suspected the husband, but she didn't want to press charges."

"There hasn't been any record of Astrid since last year," Cassidy says. "It's likely she went under radar, maybe even left her daughter."

"Oh my God. Tiger."


	5. Chapter 4

**Gabriela**

The whole day at work, I can't do anything but think of Tiger. Shay is too, even if she won't admit it. This whole thing is just screwed up. The father is a crazy pervert who ran away, and the mom is out of the picture too. Even if she does come back, she doesn't deserve to take care of Tiger. I want her. I want to take Tiger in and help her. I know there is almost no chance that will happen. After all, who would take care of her? Shay and I live together, but we both have to work. I sigh and look around at my friends chatting and eating lunch. There are six of us that usually hang out together.

Matthew Casey is a lieutenant on Truck 81. As the leader of the truck, he has a no-nonsense attitude. He used to be engaged to Hallie, but they broke off. I used to think that I loved him, but things didn't work out. We shared more than a couple of kisses and almost slept together once. After a while he decided to break it off. Although he can be intimidating, Casey is really a nice guy.

Kelly Severide is another lieutenant on the Rescue Squad. He's so strong yet so charismatic. Guess that makes him more of a ladies' man. He and Leslie are close friends. I bet if she wasn't gay they'd be dating.

Peter Mills is our candidate at Truck 81. We started out dating in secret, but now everyone knows. He's the sweetest, most amazing guy I've ever met.

Finally, is Chief Wallace Boden. He is a veteran of the fire department. His dedication to us is unwavering, and he's definitely earned our respect.

The day has mostly been quiet, and I sit on the couch, thinking of everything that's happened, when I feel a thump on my head.

"Casey!" I say, annoyed.

"What?" he looks at me innocently.

I glare at him.

"I asked you three times to pass me a water bottle!" he replies.

"Oh," I say, and grab the water off the table and toss it to him.

"What are you even thinking about?" he asks.

"Nothing," I reply, glancing at Shay.

"Come on," Peter walks up and wraps his arms around me and looking over at Shay, "you've been out of it all day."

Shay sighs. "It's a long story. Go ahead, we might as well tell them."

I start talking about Tiger, and then we spend the next ten minutes discussing what would happen next. I tell them about what I think of keeping her, but Shay just glares at me.

"I agree," Peter whispers in my ear. "You and Shay should ask for custody. It doesn't look like her mother is coming back anytime soon. I'm sure Chief Boden would give you time off."

"Gabriela," Shay looks at me, "I love Tiger just as much as you do, but she's not ours. What if we do take her in, but her mother comes back? What then? What if we won't be able to let her go?"

"I won't get too attached, I promise! Please. She needs us and I think…I think we need her too, Shay."

Shay shakes her head, "Fine. I'll help you take care of Tiger."

Immediately I get up to give her a hug.

"Wait," she says, "that's only if her mother isn't fit to take care of her. They may not even give us custody. But I'll do what I can to help."

I smile, "That's all I'm asking."

After our shift, I'm tempted to ask Shay if she'll come with me to see Tiger, but I know when not to push it. After all, she did just agree to take care of Tiger and let her live in our house. Instead, I decide to go down on my own. The drive is long, and it begins to get dark. As I pull into the parking lot, I notice a family walking to their car. They are smiling and laughing; the little girl holding tight to her parents' hands. Then I think of how lucky she is, yet she doesn't know it. I think about how Tiger never had that kind of childhood. It makes me sad just how unfair the world is. If Shay and I could take care of Tiger, I would give her the life she never had.

The waiting room is nearly empty. Hallie is at the front desk, flipping through papers. "Hey," I walk up to her.

"Gabriela, I didn't expect to see you here so soon."

"Yeah, well Shay and I kind of talked, and we were thinking of letting Tiger stay with us. Just for now I mean, things may change."

"Oh wow, I wish you would have called, I could have saved you the trip."

"What do you mean?"

"Tiger's gone. Her mother came by this afternoon to take her home."


	6. Chapter 5

**Hallie**

Today must have been the longest day of my life. After the paramedics brought Tiger in last night, I was up late trying to fix her up and taking care of her. Not to mention the sudden influx of patients coming in. Now, with Gabriela wanting to take care of Tiger right after her mom comes in; it's all a big mess. I do admit Tiger would probably be better off with them. A mother that abandons her child shouldn't be allowed to take her back. Still, when Gabriela told me she planned on suing for custody, I was shocked. It's not like they've had any experience with children, especially not a child like Tiger. All the same, I do plan on supporting them during trial. They want me to testify.

I never thought going to court would be a part of my job as a doctor. Then again, I never thought I would be doing psychology as a side to my regular job. It is an interesting field though. I've always wanted to know more about people, and just listen to their thoughts.

I pull up into my driveway to notice someone standing at my door. "Matt? What are you doing here?"

Matt runs up as I get out of my car. "I came to apologize," he says. "I never should have said those things to you. I want to get back together."

I am stunned. After our last fight, I never imagined we would ever make up. _It's really over now_, I had thought.

I shake my head. "Why are you telling me this now?" I ask softly. "I can't do it anymore, Matt."

"Hal, please, I'm sorry. Please, take me back. Don't you love me?"

I start to cry and tears blur my vision.

"Will you give me another chance?" I hear his voice break.

"You hurt me so much, that day you left," I whisper. "I died that day. You were the one who broke up with me. You can't go off and make out with another girl, then come and expect me to take you back. Go, Matt. Leave and don't come back."

It takes all I have to leave him standing there in shock, and walk past into my house. As soon as I close the door, I let out a sob. It's hard to believe everything we've been through was for nothing. Matt and I got along so well, I thought maybe we would get married, start a life together. Our relationship just got more and more rocky, but we always got back together. Until now.

I decide to retire for the night. I strip of my clothes and climb into the shower, still thinking about Matt. How could something that felt so right go so wrong? I thought I could live without him, but maybe I was wrong. He meant everything to me, and I truly wanted him back, but I was too scared to try again. You never really stop loving someone. You just learn to live without them. I guess the hardest things to let go are the things you never really had. I climb into bed and try not to think, pressing my face against the pillow. It's soaking wet by the time I fall asleep.

The next two days go by in a blur. I try to keep myself busy with work and not thing about anything else. On Friday, a lady came by to tell me that she was Tiger's case worker; Elise. Tiger's mother was deemed unable to care for her. Tiger would be put into the foster care system until they figured something out. That same day, Gabriela called, telling me that they had talked to already talked to Elise and would be filing for custody soon. She wants me to testify. I honestly have no idea what it's going to be like, or how I even got dragged into this.

"Dr. Thomas. Dr. Thomas? _Hallie!_" I hear someone say.

I turn to find Adrea, one of the few nurses I've made friends with, staring at me with an annoyed look on her face.

"Sorry. What?"

Adrea sighs, "Honestly Hal, I asked you if you wanted to grab a beer later tonight."

"Uh, sure, I guess. I mean, I'm not busy or anything."

Adrea rolls her eyes. "Don't do me any favors."

During my lunch break, I decide to drive over to the precinct and try to talk to Detective Jones. If I'm going to be testifying, I should at least know what to expect. The hallway is quiet, and I walk in to find a group of people laughing over Chinese food.

"Hey! Hallie, right? Dani told us about you." A young, slender blonde stands up and smiles at me. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," I tell her, "I was wondering if I could talk to someone about the trial tomorrow? How exactly is it going to work?"

"It's pretty simple, why don't we go sit down? I'm Amanda, by the way."

I follow Amanda and we sit on the couch.

"Sorry for barging in," I say. "I just want to make sure I know what I'm doing. And I want to put Tiger in the best place possible."

Amanda nods understandingly. "Tough case," she says. "Her mother was also abused, but she was too scared to press charges. We haven't caught the father yet, so letting Leslie and Gabriela take care of Tiger is probably the best choice. I bet the mother could use some help to get back on her feet."

I nod. "So what exactly is going to happen?"

"Well, given that this is a child custody case, the hearing will take place in family court. It's not like the stuff you see on TV. The lawyers will ask Astrid, Gabriela and Leslie, and you some questions. You just have to talk about her health, the state she was found in. It's pretty simple."

"Okay, that's sounds easy. Um, what do you think is going to happen?"

Amanda sighs, "I honestly don't know. You can never predict these types of cases. The judge might pity Astrid and give her another chance given that she gets some help, or Gabriela and Leslie may receive full custody. Frankly, I'm just worried about Tiger."

"Yeah, me too. Along with her injuries, she isn't exactly in the greatest emotional state. Being put in the wrong home could result in something bad."

"It's going to be hard, but she'll have lots of help. You're a psychologist right? Maybe you could talk to her after the trial."

"Sure, I guess. I'll try. Well thanks, I should probably get prepared. Things could change a lot a couple of months from now."

Amanda laughs, "Definitely. Good luck!"


	7. Chapter 6

**Leslie**

Weeks turn into months before social service has decided to allow Dawson and me to try for custody. Tiger started out being in the care of Alice, her foster mother. Alice was one of those perfect mothers we all longed to be like. She had two other kids besides Tiger; both teenagers. However, as soon as Tiger was moved away from her mother, she stopped talking and eating. After five days, Elise decided to let Tiger stay with her Astrid until court.

Months later, the day has finally come. Dawson and I are sitting at our spots in family court. Dani recommended a lawyer for us, and Alexandra Reed is beside us. Dani and Amanda are sitting in the back with Tiger.

On my left, I see Astrid for the first time. She's beautiful, but a fragile kind of pretty. She and Tiger are almost spitting images of each other, with their huge blue eyes, light sprinkling of freckles, and slender frame. Astrid looks young, much too young to be a mother, yet moves in a way like someone older. I watch her brush her feathery, light brown hair behind her ear.

The judge bangs her gavel, and I jump a little.

"So we have a mother who abandoned her kid, and a pair of young girls who think they can handle a child?" she says, "let's hear it."

I glance at Dawson as Alex begins to talk. "These 'young girls' are better suited parents than Ms. Kennedy. They have jobs, money, and the love to raise Tiger."

I immediately begin to have doubts. Could Dawson and I really raise a troubled child? We would have to quit working for a while and give up a bunch of other things. What if we couldn't do it?

Dawson puts her hand on my knee and I look up. Astrid is sitting up on the stand, blinking back tears. Alex stands up.

"Ms. Kennedy, according to the case worker's report, you are currently raising your child alone?"

Astrid looks straight forward at the wall. "Yes."

"Are you currently working?"

"No."

"And now you're seeing a psychiatrist?"

"Yes."

"And did he prescribe antidepressants?"

"Objection," Astrid's lawyer calls, "irrelevant."

"I'm afraid not," the judge says. "Ms. Kennedy, please answer."

"I have prescriptions for antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs."

"And are you on those drugs now?"

"I have a diagnosis for post-traumatic stress disorder. So yes."

"So you intend to raise your child on your own, while sitting at home unemployed taking drugs? You think you can take care of your daughter, but the truth is, Ms. Kennedy, you can barely take care of yourself."

I watch as Astrid begins to cry. "Objection!" her lawyer shouts.

"Ms. Kennedy," Alex raises her voice, "let me ask you something. Do you even love your child?"

"Yes!" Astrid yells, shaking. "She's all I've ever wanted!"

"You say that, and yet you abandoned her! What kind of mother does that?"

"Objection!" Astrid's lawyer stands up.

"Withdrawn." Alex turns around. "Nothing further."

As Astrid struggles to walk back to her seat, I look over at Dawson and see that she is also shaken. Alex calls for Dr. Thomas. I grab Dawson's hand, and watch as Hallie walks past us to the stand.

"Dr. Thomas, how long have you been working in the medical field?"

"Seven years, and I've been studying psychology for three."

"Now Dr. Thomas, when was the first time you saw Tiger?"

"The past Tuesday night, when she was brought into my hospital."

"And you evaluated her. What was her physical state?"

"Tiger had several scrapes and bruises. The most notable was a deep cut under her left eye. She also suffered from a sprained wrist and three broken ribs. When I was evaluating her, I found severe vaginal trauma. She had been raped multiple times. In addition, Tiger had several scars on both of her wrists."

"What do you believe those to be from?"

Hallie looks over at me. "Everything but the scars were from her father. Tiger was abused, both physically and sexually."

"And her emotional state?" Alex asks.

"She was quite traumatized from the abuse. She's likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, among other things. She self-harms to take away the pain. The damage she has taken emotionally has made her possibly suicidal."

"Now, Dr. Thomas, to the best of your knowledge, what do you think is the best thing for Tiger?"

Hallie takes a breath, and I can see her trying to find an answer. "The best thing for Tiger," she says slowly, "is to put her in a safe, loving home where she will be cared for. In my opinion, I believe that home is with Gabriela and Leslie."

"Thank you, no further questions."

Alex smiles and walks back to her seat as Astrid's lawyer stands up.

"Dr. Thomas, you said that Tiger was abused by her father?"

"Yes."

"How do know that? Did Tiger tell you?"

"No, but-"

"Is there any way to medically test for child abuse?"

"No."

"Then you really don't know for sure that Tiger was ever in danger?"

"She was almost unconscious when she was brought to the hospital! She had severe injuries and signs of long-term abuse!" Hallie shouts.

"Yet you say she self-harms! Couldn't Tiger have brought the other injuries onto herself?"

Hallie sits in silence, staring at nothing.

"Thank you," Astrid's lawyer says. "No further questions."

I can feel Dawson growing restless beside me. Before the trial, she had volunteered to go up and answer questions about our personal life. Now, she stands and walks up to the front.

"Miss Dawson," Alex asks, "what is your relationship to Leslie Shay?"

"We're friends, best friends, and we work together as EMTs in the firehouse."

"Do you live together?"

"Yes."

"And Miss Dawson, what do you plan to do if Tiger moves in? Surely you can't keep working?"

"I've spoken with my boss, and he has agreed to give us time off. When we get settled, Shay and I will go back to work."

"Thank you. That is all."

Astrid's lawyer rises. "Miss Dawson, have you ever cared for a child before?"

"No, but-"

"Did you have any younger siblings growing up?"

I see Dawson grow flustered. "No, but I've babysat before."

"Have you ever looked after a girl like Tiger? Abused and suicidal?"

"No-"

"So you have real no experience?"

Dawson clenches her teeth. "No."

"Thank you," Astrid's lawyer smiles. "No further questions."

When Dawson sits back down beside me, I pull her into a hug. I see Alex speaking but I can't tell what she's saying. Over Dawson's shoulder, I see Tiger running up to Astrid. Astrid buries her face into Tiger's hair, and they cry together. I hear Dani and Amanda murmuring behind us. The judge bangs her gavel and the room falls silent. She looks at us and sighs.

"This hearing is to determine the best interest of the child. With that statement, I am awarding Gabriela Dawson and Leslie Shay full custody until Ms. Kennedy can get herself together."

Beside me, Gabriela lets out a small squeak.

"However, given that Ms. Kennedy is the biological mother, the court awards her minimal supervised visitation. Two hours, every Saturday, with an agreed upon third party facilitator. This hearing is adjourned."


	8. Chapter 7

**Dani**

I can hear Astrid's sobbing over the bang of the judge's gavel. "Please, she's my daughter," she gasps, "You can't do this!" Her face is wet with tears and her voice cracks. I think back to when I first met her-how young she looked, and I thought she was only a child herself. Now I look at her and wonder how I didn't notice the lines in her face, the pain in her eyes. She looks so much older.

Astrid's lawyer tries to calm her down. "This is only temporary, Astrid. Tiger will be fine. You can get your daughter back. This is just until you can get back on your feet again."

Her soothing tones have no effect on Astrid and Tiger is crying into her mother's shoulder. "Mommy," she cries, "don't go." They hold on to each another as if by letting go, one could fall apart. I think about after all this, they're being ripped apart once again, and I can't help but feel that this is somehow my fault.

Astrid struggles to hold back more tears. "I'm so sorry, baby," she says, holding Tiger close. "It'll be okay. It's going to be alright."

I watch Leslie and Gabriela slowly walk over to them. "Astrid…" Leslie says softly.

Astrid looks up at them. "Please don't do this." she says. "Please."

Leslie looks torn. She strokes Astrid's hair and speaks quietly to her while Gabriela bends down to try to comfort Tiger. At this time, there is not a dry eye in the room. Astrid, Tiger, Leslie, and Gabriela. Four beautiful girls crying their hearts out.

"We have to go," Gabriela says, blinking back her own tears.

Astrid tries to be brave for Tiger. She takes in a shaky breath and smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She kisses her daughter's head. "I love you." she whispers. "Remember that, okay? I'll always love you."

Gabriela gently pulls Tiger away. "Shh," she murmurs, "it's okay."

Tiger struggles in her arms, sobbing. "Let me go! No, mommy!" she cries. "Don't let them take me! You promised you'd never leave me again! You promised!"

Astrid just cries harder, whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She says this over and over again, and buries her face in her hands.

I walk over and silently hand Tiger's soft white bear and fluffy blue blanket to Leslie. She barely looks at me before turning back to Gabriela. They leave the room with Tiger still screaming, and I have to turn away. Amanda puts her hand on my shoulder.

_This is what's best_, I tell myself. _This is what's right._

I take in a breath and look at Amanda.

"Let's go."

Amanda and I don't talk much during our shifts. The trial took place late in the afternoon, and we still have to work the rest of the evening. There are still no signs of Tiger's father, and they don't appear to have any relatives close be. We spend hours going through different systems in the computers and talking to local residents. By late evening, everyone is tired and ready to go home.

"Hey," Amanda says, typing on the computer, "did you know that Leslie was abused?"

I look up from Tiger's files. "Really? Leslie Shay?"

"Yeah, her dad was an alcoholic and beat her and her mother. She was probably the product of a rape. And she was moved to live with her grandparents when she was two."

"What about her mother?"

"Dead. Died in a car accident soon after she was born."

"That's awful," I murmur. "Do you think maybe that's why she agreed to take in Tiger?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

We sit in silence for a couple of moments.

"I know you're worried, Dani." Amanda says. "Look, next weekend Tiger is supposed to visit with her mother here at the precinct. You'll be able to see her and talk to her."

"Yeah," I sigh, "I guess you're right. We should probably focus on finding Tiger's dad. Maybe we could go to Gabriela and Leslie's place to talk to Tiger. See if she can give us any information"

Amanda smiles a bit, "Yeah."


End file.
